1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a security element, a security product, a method for its personalization and/or its individualization and also an apparatus for its production and an apparatus for its personalization according to the preamble of the relevant independent claim.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the personalization of data carriers, such as identity cards or ID cards, laser labeling, that is blackening by laser radiation, of the surface of the data carrier or the card body is a method which is established and used widely because of the high protection against forgery.
In order to improve the protection against forgery, the patent applications DE 42 43 987 A1 and EP 0 219 011 A2 propose personalized laser labeling or blackening by laser radiation of at least two layers arranged one above another in a data carrier. In this form of laser labeling, an item of security information in the form of an image or text is distributed to two or more planes.
The disadvantage with personalization information produced in such a manner is that this cannot readily be distinguished from a simple, forged imprint of a different item of personalization information likewise in a black color.
Another variant for increasing the protection against forgery is disclosed by EP 0 105 099 A1. This European laid-open specification proposes the provision of an integrated optically variable element on each of the valuable documents to be secured thereby. The optically variable element is a diffraction structure or a diffraction grating. When tilted or rotated, it appears to the observer as though a predefined pattern moves quasi-continuously over the element. The production of such an element and its introduction into the valuable document is complicated and therefore expensive. The personalization or individualization of such an element for improving the protection against forgery is certainly desirable but falls down on the higher production costs, in particular in the case of a mass-produced article to be protected.
The invention is based in particular on the object of providing a security element with high protection against forgery or counterfeiting.
The object is respectively achieved by the features specified in the independent patent claims. Advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in the independent claims.
The first substantial aspect of the invention comprises the provision of an element that is secured against forgery and/or counterfeiting, that is to say a security element, which has at least two layers of different color arranged above one another. Because each of the layers is provided with part of an item of personalization and/or individualizing information, the result is a multicolored item of personalization information and/or individualization information which is distributed to two or more planes and, without aids, as a result of tilting or rotation of the security element or a security product provided with the security element, can be distinguished from a simple, correspondingly colored imprint.
A second substantial aspect of the invention consists in equipping each of the at least two layers lying above one another in such a way that their color can be changed in each case, partially or at some points. This permits the production of a large number of security elements or security products according to the invention in a mass-production process, in this case each provided with a security element according to the invention. Each security element according to the invention and/or security product which has a security element according to the invention can subsequently be personalized or individualized in a separate, later step. This permits both the cost-effective production and the cost-effective personalization of a security element or security product with high security against forgery or counterfeiting. Its authenticity can additionally be checked simply and quickly by visual means.
A third substantial aspect of the invention comprises forming the personalization information or the individualized information by image points. Each image point is preferably formed at least by a first colored region of a first layer of the layers whose color can be changed and a second colored region of a second layer of the layers whose color can be changed. According to the invention, these regions are preferably arranged above one another with a vertical offset, in such a way that the second colored region of the second layer of the layers whose color can be changed wholly or partly covers the first colored region of the first layer of the layers whose color can be changed in a (vertical) plan view of the colored regions. The first and the second colored region preferably have largely the same dimensions and are merely offset vertically in relation to each other, but largely not offset laterally in relation to each other. In this case, it is advantageous that each of the image points exhibits an easily visible tilting effect or color change as a security feature when the security element or security product is tilted or rotated.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a largely transparent layer or film is in each case provided between the layers whose color can be changed, it being possible for the distance between the layers whose color can be changed to be set by choosing the thickness of the layer or film. By means of a suitable choice of the distance between the layers whose color can be changed, the tilting effect or color change can be set in the desired form.
A fourth substantial aspect of the invention is to configure the layers whose color can be changed in such a way that their color can be changed partially or at some points by means of laser radiation and, by means of such a color change, to produce an item of personalization information and/or individualizing information. Both the data carrier which has a security element according to the invention and the security element according to the invention itself can be personalized or individualized by means of laser radiation. For this purpose, all that is needed is a personalization apparatus which provides a suitable laser radiation or suitable laser radiations and guides the laser radiation over the data carrier and the security element in order to produce the item of personalization information.
For this purpose, it will generally be necessary to match the laser radiation in each case to the material of the data carrier, such as the material of the card body, and to the layers whose color can be changed. It is necessary in particular to match the wavelength or the wavelength range and/or the intensity or radiation power of the laser radiation.
If cost-effective layers of different colors which can be processed easily and whose color can be changed partially by one and the same laser radiation are available, the personalization information or individualizing information can advantageously be written into the security element according to the invention in only one step. This can then be done simultaneously, for example, image point by image point, in all the layers whose color can be changed.
The fact that laser radiation is required to personalize or individualize the security element according to the invention ensures that the personalization information or the individualizing information does not bleach or fade during normal use of the data carrier or under the action of artificial light and/or daylight. A fifth substantial aspect of the invention consists in providing the security element according to the invention with layers whose color can partially be changed and whose color can be changed independently of one another by different laser radiations, in particular with regard to the wavelength or wavelength range and/or radiation intensity. In this way, if an appropriate personalization apparatus is used, each layer or plane of the security element can be provided individually with part of the personalization information or individualizing information, it being possible for the part of the personalization information or individualizing information in one plane to differ from that in another plane. This permits the use of a complicated structure for the personalization information or individualizing information. A forger would therefore have to procure both an unpersonalized security product according to the invention and also the very specific personalization apparatus, which, with relatively little effort, can largely be ruled out.
A sixth substantial aspect of the invention consists in configuring the layers whose color can be changed partially by suitable laser radiation in such a way, according to the invention, that the partial color change consists in irreversible bleaching or an irreversible, significant increase in the transparency to artificial light and/or daylight. It is therefore in any case possible for a forger to bleach an item of existing personalization information or individualizing information but not to write a new item of personalization information or a new item of individualizing information into a security element that has already been personalized. In addition, the authenticity of a security element or security product according to the invention can therefore be checked visually without aids.
It goes without saying that it is not necessarily necessary for all the above substantial aspects of the invention to be provided in one embodiment of the invention.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the personalization information or individualizing information is formed by a large number of image points, between which there are transparent regions of the layers whose color can be changed. Through the transparent regions, preferably artificial light and/or daylight arrives at a reflective and/or scattering layer provided in the security element according to the invention, the reflected and/or scattered light passing at least partially through the regions of the layer whose color is not changed and/or the layer scattering and/or filtering the artificial light and/or daylight in its natural color and imparting to an item of personalization or individualizing information according to the invention or a security element according to the invention a characteristic tilting effect that can easily be perceived visually.
In an advantageous refinement of the invention, the security product provided with a security element according to the invention is an identity card, a credit card, a Eurocheque card, an insured person""s card, a telephone card, a driver""s license, an authorization card, an identification document, a product protection label, a banknote or the like.
In one embodiment of the invention, such as in the case of an identity card (ID card), the item of personalization information is the portrait, the signature and/or person-related data of the authorized card holder.
In one embodiment of the invention, provision is made for one of the layers whose color can be changed to have colorants of a first type, preferably colorants such as colored pigments which largely absorb blue light, for example from about 400-460 nm, and whose natural color is yellow. As an alternative or addition, provision is further made for one of the layers whose color can be changed to have colorants of a second type, preferably colorants such as colored pigments which largely absorb green light, for example from about 500-560 nm, and whose natural color is red or magenta.
Furthermore, as an alternative or addition, provision is made for one of the layers whose color can be changed to have colorants of a third type, preferably colorants such as colored pigments which largely absorb red light, for example from about 580-680 nm, and whose natural color is blue or cyan. By means of the combination, for example, of such layers in a security element according to the invention, the methods of additive and/or subtractive color mixing can be used to produce an item of personalization information according to the invention which exhibits a tilting effect or color change that can be detected clearly under artificial light and/or daylight.
The various colorants or mixtures of these colorants are, for example, applied with a vertical offset to the various layers or films of the card structure. As a result, in at least two different planes of the card structure, bleachable layers are obtained, it being possible for the first layer to be bleached with laser radiation of a first wavelength and for the second layer to be bleached with laser radiation of a second wavelength.